The Spectator

Election Barometer

Plus, which parties got the best – and worse – deal out of the electoral system

Turnout was up, with a widespread belief that young people voted en masse. But actually, turnout was the 5th lowest of any general election since 1945
 
Highest turnouts

1950 83.9%
1951 82.9%
February 1974 78.8 %
1959 78.7 %
1992 77.7 %

Lowest turnouts

2001 59.4 %
2005 61.4 %
2010 65.1 %
2015 66.1 %
2017 68.7 %

In spite of failing to secure a majority, Theresa May won a higher share of the vote than any party since 1997 – and the biggest Conservative share since Mrs Thatcher’s landslide victory in 1983.
 
Con vote share

2017 42.4%
2015 36.9%
2005 32.4%
2001 31.7%
1997 30.7%
1992 41.9%
1987 42.2%
1983 42.4%

Labour vote share

2017 40.0%
2015 30.4%
2005 35.2%
2001 40.7%
1997 43.2%
1992 34.4%
1987 30.8%
1983 27.6%

Which parties got the best deal – and which got the worse – out of the electoral system?

Votes received for every seat won
SNP 27,930
Conservative 42,927
Labour 49,266
Liberal Democrat 197,254
Green 524,604

Ukip notched up 593,852 votes, but won no seats
 
What about the popular vote of the parties that didn’t make it into the TV debates?

Yorkshire Party 20,958
National Health Action 16,119
Christian Peoples Alliance 5,869
British National Party 4,642
Women’s Equality Party 3,580
Monster Raving Loony Party 3,890
Pirate Party 2,321
English Democrats 1,913
Workers Revolutionary Party 771
Social Democratic Party 469

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